Austin electricity: one provider, Austin Energy
Austin Energy is owned by the City of Austin and serves the city and nearby parts of Travis and Williamson counties. Its rates are set by the Austin City Council, and its bill arrives with the city's water and other services on it.
When Texas opened its electricity market in 2002, city-owned utilities and electric cooperatives were allowed to join but not required to, and almost none have: Lubbock, in 2024, was the first city to do it, and Nueces is the only co-op. Austin Energy still buys or generates the power, owns the wires and meters, and sends one bill, with rates set locally rather than by competing offers.
What this means for your bill
One bill, from Austin Energy, at rates it sets. There are no plans to compare, no contract to time and no early termination fee to weigh. Sites that list “Austin electricity plans” are showing the plans sold in the choice areas nearby; an address on Austin Energy’s lines can’t enroll in them, and we don’t pretend otherwise.
What you can do is ask Austin Energy about its own rate options and its efficiency and rebate programs, and work on the usage: in a Texas summer most of the bill is air conditioning.
Check: is your address really on Austin Energy’s lines?
Utility borders don’t follow city limits. Some addresses at the edges of the Austin area are on Oncor's or Pedernales Electric Cooperative's lines instead. Oncor addresses can choose; Pedernales ones can't. The surest check is the bill: the company that sends it is the company that serves you. If it names Oncor, CenterPoint Energy, AEP Texas, TNMP or Lubbock Power & Light as the delivery company, you can choose, and every plan sold at that address can be priced on your own 12 months.
Austin electricity FAQs
Can I choose my electricity provider in Austin?
No. Austin Energy is the only electricity provider for addresses on its lines, and there is no retail plan to switch to. Comparison sites that list plans for Austin are showing plans sold in the delivery areas around it; a Austin address on Austin Energy's lines can't enroll in them. Some addresses at the edges of the Austin area are on Oncor's or Pedernales Electric Cooperative's lines instead. Oncor addresses can choose; Pedernales ones can't.
Why doesn't Austin have electricity choice?
When Texas opened its electricity market in 2002, city-owned utilities and electric cooperatives were allowed to join but not required to, and almost none have: Lubbock, in 2024, was the first city to do it, and Nueces is the only co-op. Austin Energy still buys or generates the power, owns the wires and meters, and sends one bill, with rates set locally rather than by competing offers.
Who do I call about an outage or a bill in Austin?
Austin Energy, for both. It owns the wires, sends the crews and issues the bill, so there is no second company involved. The number is on the bill and on its website.
Will Austin get retail electricity choice?
Only if the city decides to join the competitive market, as Lubbock did in 2024. That is a decision for the city council and the utility's board, not the state, and none has been made for Austin as of this writing.
How do I lower my electricity bill in Austin?
Without plans to compare, the bill comes down to usage and the utility's own options. Ask Austin Energy about its rate structures (some city utilities offer time-of-day or budget-billing options), its efficiency and rebate programs, and any payment arrangements. Air conditioning is most of a Texas summer bill, so the thermostat, attic insulation and a serviced unit are where the usage goes.
The nearest places with choice
Every plan sold there, priced on a year for three sizes of home.
Guides
- Why is my electricity bill so high? Seven Texas reasons, in orderThe reasons a Texas electricity bill jumps, from the most common (your contract expired and you're on the holdover rate) to the ones nobody mentions, and the line on your bill that gives each one away.
- What a typical Dallas home pays for electricityAverage usage in Dallas–Fort Worth, the summer swing, and what a year costs for small, typical and large homes on this month's cheapest plans.
- How to find your monthly kWh usageWhere your last 12 months of electricity usage are hiding: your bill, your provider's app, and Smart Meter Texas. Plus what to do if you have no history yet.
- How to switch electricity providers in TexasWhat you need (your ESI ID is on the bill), what happens after you enroll, why the lights never go out, and the three-day window to change your mind.